can't get the hplip plugin to be recignized

I've been working on this for hours.
it says the plugin is installed:

Plug-in version: 3.19.1
Installed HPLIP version: 3.19.1
Number of files to install: 64

Done.
 Plug-in installation successful

Then when I choose the discovered printer it replies:
error: The device you are trying to setup requires a binary plug-in. Some functionalities may not work as expected without plug-ins. Please run 'hp-plugin' as normal user to install plug-ins. Visit http://hplipopensource.com for more infomation.

I can go around in circles installing the plugin, followed by the error message. In short: the plugin is installed but it isn't....

My system is Ubuntu 18.04
printer laserjet m1212nf MFP
command hp-setup

Here is hp-check -t
Status Types:
    OK
    MISSING - Missing Dependency or Permission or Plug-in
    INCOMPAT - Incompatible dependency-version or Plugin-version

---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

 Kernel: 4.15.0-45-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 29 16:28:13 UTC 2019 GNU/Linux
 Host: ilan-Lenovo-G585
 Proc: 4.15.0-45-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 29 16:28:13 UTC 2019 GNU/Linux
 Distribution: 12 18.04
 Bitness: 64 bit

-----------------------
| HPLIP CONFIGURATION |
-----------------------

HPLIP-Version: HPLIP 3.19.1
HPLIP-Home: /usr/share/hplip
HPLIP-Installation: Auto installation is supported for ubuntu distro 18.04 version

Current contents of '/etc/hp/hplip.conf' file:
# hplip.conf. Generated from hplip.conf.in by configure.

[hplip]
version=3.19.1

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.19.1
html=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.19.1
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp
bin=/usr/bin
apparmor=/etc/apparmor.d
# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
libusb01-build=no
pp-build=no
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=no
foomatic-drv-install=no
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.19.1
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
qt5=no
policy-kit=no
lite-build=no
udev_sysfs_rules=no
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no
apparmor_build=yes
class-driver=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
[plugin]
installed = 1
eula = 1
version = 3.19.1

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[upgrade]
notify_upgrade = true
last_upgraded_time = 1550151004
pending_upgrade_time = 0
latest_available_version = 3.17.10

[installation]
date_time = 02/14/2019 16:22:44
version = 3.19.1

 <Package-name> <Package-Desc> <Required/Optional> <Min-Version> <Installed-Version> <Status> <Comment>

--------------
| COMPILEDEP |
--------------

 gcc gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler REQUIRED - 7.3.0 OK -
 make make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs REQUIRED 3.0 4.1 OK -
 libtool libtool - Library building support services REQUIRED - 2.4.6 OK -

------------------------
| General Dependencies |
------------------------

 libcrypto libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library REQUIRED - 1.1.0 OK -
 python-xml Python XML libraries REQUIRED - 2.2.5 OK -
 libnetsnmp-devel libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files REQUIRED 5.0.9 5.7.3 OK -
 sane-devel SANE - Scanning library development files REQUIRED - - OK -
 pil PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan) OPTIONAL - 1.1.7 OK -
 pyqt4-dbus PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4 REQUIRED 4.0 4.12.1 OK -
 libpthread libpthread - POSIX threads library REQUIRED - 2.27 OK -
 python-devel Python devel - Python development files REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.15 OK -
 cups-devel CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files REQUIRED - 2.2.7 OK -
 python-dbus Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus REQUIRED 0.80.0 1.2.6 OK -
 cups-ddk CUPS DDK - CUPS driver development kit OPTIONAL - - OK -
 reportlab Reportlab - PDF library for Python OPTIONAL 2.0 3.4.0 OK -
 pyqt4 PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x) REQUIRED 4.0 4.12.1 OK -
 libusb libusb - USB library REQUIRED - 1.0 OK -
 cups-image CUPS image - CUPS image development files REQUIRED - 2.2.7 OK -
 python2X Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.15 OK -
 python-notify Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications OPTIONAL - - OK -
 libjpeg libjpeg - JPEG library REQUIRED - - OK -
 sane SANE - Scanning library REQUIRED - - OK -

----------------------
| Scan Configuration |
----------------------

 scanext Scan-SANE-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.1 OK -
 hpaio HPLIP-SANE-Backend REQUIRED - 3.19.1 OK 'hpaio found in /etc/sane.d/dll.conf'

-------------------------
| External Dependencies |
-------------------------

 gs GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer REQUIRED 7.05 9.26 OK -
 scanimage scanimage - Shell scanning program OPTIONAL 1.0 1.0.27 OK -
 cups CUPS - Common Unix Printing System REQUIRED 1.1 2.2.7 OK 'CUPS Scheduler is running'
 network network -wget OPTIONAL - 1.19.4 OK -
 policykit PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework OPTIONAL - 0.105 OK -
 xsane xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE OPTIONAL 0.9 0.999 OK -
 dbus DBus - Message bus system REQUIRED - 1.12.2 OK -
 avahi-utils avahi-utils OPTIONAL - 0.7 OK -

---------------------
| Python Extentions |
---------------------

 hpmudext IO-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.1 OK -
 cupsext CUPS-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.1 OK -

------------------------------
| DISCOVERED SCANNER DEVICES |
------------------------------

No Scanner found.

--------------------------
| DISCOVERED USB DEVICES |
--------------------------

No devices found.

---------------------------------
| INSTALLED CUPS PRINTER QUEUES |
---------------------------------

lpstat
------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: No destinations added.

--------------
| PERMISSION |
--------------

No errors or warnings.

Done.